Fluid-swellable materials are capable of generating a contact force against a nearby structure when exposed to a fluid reactive with the swelling material. Fluid-swellable materials have been used in various industries. For example, in the downhole drilling and completions industry, fluid-swellable materials are used for a variety of packer, isolation, actuation, and sealing devices. Compared with mechanically setup packers and inflatable packers, fluid-swellable packers are easier to set up. However, in certain applications, the sealing rate of fluid-swellable packers may be less than desirable. In addition, some fluid-swellable packers may lose elastic modulus after swelling up. This loss in elastic modulus will typically undesirably increase the length of the packer in order to ensure adequate sealing. Thus, the industry is always receptive to new swellable materials or articles having improved reliability in long term service. It would be a further advantage if such materials or articles also have improved sealing rates.